The present invention relates to a passive safety belt device for a vehicle, such as an automobile.
A passive safety belt device has been provided in which a safety belt is connected between a rear portion of the door and a retractor provided on a body member (floor or a member secured to the floor) between seats, so that the safety belt may be automatically fitted to the passenger's body by closing the door of the vehicle and the safety belt is automatically removed from the passenger's body by opening the door.
A passive safety belt device in which a safety belt extends diagonally across the passenger's body from one shoulder to the opposite hip is preferably employed in vehicles and this kind of safety belt is known as a "shoulder belt". In such a passive safety belt device, the outer end of the safety belt is connected to a sash of rear portion of the door. When providing the safety belt in a vehicle with sash-less doors, a belt supporting member is provided on a rear upper portion of the door and the end of the safety belt is connected to the supporting member. In such a device, if the belt supporting member is too high, the appearance of the interior of the vehicle is impaired, and if the member is too low, the belt presses the passenger's shoulder or neck in the fastening condition, which will cause an unpleasant feeling and impairs the fastening and releasing operation of the belt.